


Out of the Cold

by kristenthelia



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 00:36:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2793377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kristenthelia/pseuds/kristenthelia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen finds the Inquisitor after the attack on Haven.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the Cold

Cullen had been pacing for hours. He was well aware of that fact, but the nervous energy wouldn’t leave him, so he continued to pace around their makeshift camp in the mountains. Glancing around, he saw people they’d led from Haven, huddled around the few fires they had with each other, heads all bowed low. Cassandra stood off to the side, glaring at nothing blaming herself for the Herald’s most likely death. Josephine was sitting, curled in on herself, staring into the fire. Leliana was next to her, her gaze just as blank. The others the Herald had gathered looked just as despondent.

He shared in their grief, even if the anxiety that accompanied forced him pace. He couldn’t believe she was gone, even if his mind told him that logically there was very little chance she was still out there. They had watched the avalanche from a distance before seeing the so called Elder One and his dragon fly away. They all saw as the town they had been in moments before, the town the Herald was still in, was buried under tons of snow. Everything they had built, everything they had accomplished seemed to be buried with it — including the one person who could put a stop to all the madness of the world.

Cullen stopped at the edge of the camp, drawing his hands across his face. What were they going to do? Surely the Inquisition could continue, but without the Herald…

His thoughts trailed off, as he saw a figure stumbling towards their camp. Immediately on the alert, he grasped the hilt of his sword. But a moment later, as the stumbling figure become more clear through the heavy snow, he make out something green glowing on their right hand. He felt his heart clench as he was finally able to make out the figure of the Herald making their way through the snow.

“There! It’s her!” Cullen called out, breaking the heavy silence of the camp.

“Thank the Maker,” he heard Cassandra say.

Apparently realizing she was near help, Cullen watched as she collapsed to her knees.

They rushed forward and Cullen managed to catch her before she face-planted into the snow. She was shivering violently, her breath coming out in heavy gasps. “Am I okay?” she managed to breathe out.

”Yes,” he answered. “You’re going to be.” She nodded, her whole body shaking.

“We have to get her warm,” Cassandra said. “Else she’ll freeze to death.”

Cullen nodded quickly, before pulling her to feet. She wobbled for a moment, grasping on to him for support. She was in no state to walk, he decided, and quickly lifted her into his arms. Even if she hated him later for this, the quicker she was near a fire the better. At the moment though, she appeared to have no complaints, resting heavily in his arms and her head on his chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, eyes closed. Cullen started to say it was no problem when her hands reached up to his cloak and she pulled herself tighter towards him. Still shivering, she nuzzled her face into the fur at his shoulders.

Cullen paused, looking down at her. Before she had been a larger than life person, someone who would save them from the breach. She charged into battle with fierce determination to set the world right, even if she had never wanted that sort of power. Now, she seemed… small and it occurred to him for the first time that she was merely a person. A person with a lot of power and influence, but still… a person. She was cold and scared, reaching out for what little comfort she could find. He was… pleased that it was him to give her that comfort.

As he walked her towards the bedrolls near the fire, he couldn’t help but feel a blush start rising into his cheeks. He just prayed the others would not see it. Setting her down, she grunted at the loss of warmth. He pulled several blankets to cover her, making sure she would be properly warm. Cullen stared down at her a few more moments, watched as her disgruntled expression changed into one of comfort. Smiling to himself, he began to leave in order to give her some rest. But that was when he felt her catch his hand.

He turned to see her eyes partially open. “Please… stay for a few moments,” she said.

He knew he shouldn’t but he also couldn’t say no. Sitting down, he felt her hand tighten around his and watched as her eyes closed once more. “Thank you, Cullen.”

“Of course, Herald.”

“Amaria.”

“Hmm…?” She had whispered it and he hadn’t been sure he’d heard her correctly.

“My name is Amaria.”

He guessed there was no point on standing on pretense anymore. “Then sleep, Amaria. We’ll be here when you awaken.”

“You’d better,” she replied, smiling slightly and drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from my tumblr.


End file.
